NJ Bear Attacks Won't Prompt Gov. Murphy To Restore Hunt

NEW JERSEY — A series of New Jersey bear incidents, including a woman attacked last week while getting her mail, renewed calls for Gov. Phil Murphy to restore the hunting of the creature. But the Murphy administration has not reversed its position on the bear hunt, as state officials continue to pursue non-lethal mitigation strategies.

Murphy said the 2020 hunt would be the last under his administration, suspending the annual hunting period last year. But New Jersey has seen several attacks this year from black bears, which critics say could have been prevented if the state continued the hunt.

New Jersey's black bear population recently awoke from hibernation. That's led to bear sightings around the state, including one clinging to a telephone pole Sunday in Bergen County and another tranquilized and removed from a tree Wednesday afternoon in Passaic County.

Most of these New Jersey sightings haven't sparked any reported attacks on humans or pets, but there have been exceptions.

Last Wednesday, a bear attacked a woman in Lafayette, Sussex County, while she checked her mail, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. She was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries to her right arm and buttock, a department spokesperson told Patch. Environmental officials set a trap for the bear, with plans to euthanize it under state policy. Read more: NJ Woman Attacked By Bear While She Was Getting Mail

Earlier this year, two dogs were killed in January in Sparta, and an 81-year-old woman was injured in two separate bear attacks.

Legislators in New Jersey's 24th District — all Republicans — called on Murphy to re-evaluate "his reckless position" to halt the bear hunt.

"Without a responsible hunting policy, the bear population is exploding," said Senator Steven Oroho. "Regretfully, that will mean we will continue to see more dangerous interactions like yesterday’s attack. This latest incident was a close call that could have been much worse, and it is inevitable that more residents will encounter dangerous situations if Murphy doesn’t re-evaluate his reckless position."

Last summer, leadership from the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance — a coalition for environmental issues — called Murphy's decision to end the bear hunt "a ticking time bomb."

New Jersey's black bear population increased an estimated 2,000 in 2019 to about 3,000 at the end of the 2020 hunt, according to Edward Markowski, past president of the outdoor alliance.

"The population estimate in 2020 is currently higher than the population that existed in 2014 when we experienced our only black bear human fatality in West Milford, Passaic County," Markowski wrote.

Some state officials disagree with the halt of the bear hunt. The New Jersey Fish and Game Council unanimously approved an emergency order in September to re-establish the hunt, at least for the next month. But NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette rejected the council's position, keeping the bear hunt suspended.

Murphy's administration continues to support a bear-mitigation approach that doesn't involve the hunt. The state DEP's strategies include public education, black bear research and monitoring, trapping and behavioral conditioning, and euthanizing bears that pose a public-safety threat.

New Jersey's 2022 budget included $1.5 million to hire additional conservation officers for bear management, train local officials and increase public education and outreach about the issue.

"Last week’s black bear attack further emphasized the need for a robust and comprehensive approach to bear management," Bailey Lawrence, the administration's deputy press secretary, told Patch via email. "The Murphy administration continues to support nonlethal bear management strategies that are backed by science and centered around community education and training for local officials.

"In order to further bolster the efficacy of this approach, the Governor’s proposed FY 2023 budget maintains additional funding for the expansion of nonlethal bear management strategies."